Driving mechanism for haulage systems.



WITNESSES INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH (30., WASHINGTON, D, c.

Patented May27, 1913.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. E. HUTTELMAIBR. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR HAULAGE SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 1911.

1 ,063,033. Patented May 27, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ GUSTAVE E. I-IUTTELMAIER, OF SCO'ITDALE,PENNSYLVANIA.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR HAULAGE SYSTEMS- To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, GUsTAvE E. HUTTEL- MAIER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scottdale, in the county of VVestmorelandand State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Driving Mechanism forHaulage Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction and operation of the drivingmechanism used in actuating haulage systems in which an endless chain orequivalent device is employed to actuate and control the movement of aseries of cars, wagons, or similar wheeled vehicles, in transferringsuch vehicles from place to place.

The invention more particularly relates to the construction of a chaindriving mechanism employed in controlling the operation of the down haulchain in regulating the downward movement of a series of cars or trainsof cars upon an inclined track, such as the car hauls used in connectionwith the handling of mined materials from a shaft or mine or othersource of supply. In such inclined car hauls, two endless chainsordinarily are employed, one traveling upwardly on the incline andhaving means engaging with the cars to raise the cars, the other chainmoving or controlling the movement of the cars downwardly on theincline. The down haul chain of such car hauls is a re tarding devicewhose purpose is to prevent the cars or wagons which descend theinclines by gravity from running away on the in clined track on whichthey travel.

Heretofore such down haul chains have been positively driven, therelative movement of the up haul and down haul chains being controlledby a system of gearing connected to and positively driven by a motor,one motor common tov both usually being employed. In such haulagesystems, car blockades unavoidably occur at times, and the occurrence ofa blockade uponthe down haul track brings the cars on the down haultrack to a stop so as to arrest temporarily their further downwardmovement. As the movement of the down haul chain iscontinuous, thischain attempts to enforce the down haul movement of the cars or seriesof trains of cars, and as a consequence, wreckage and other damage tothe cars and to the car haul mechanism is the result of such attempts ofthe car haul to move the blockaded cars.

One object of my invention is to provide Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed December 23, 1911.

Patented May 27, 1913.

Serial No. 667,509.

a driving mechanism for car hauls having,

novel means whereby the operation of the car haul mechanism and thehandling of the cars are automatically regulated and controlled, andliability of breakage or other damage to the car haulage system and carsforming part thereof is avoided and overcome. 7 a

Another object of this invention is to provide a car haul drivingmechanism having improved means whereby continuous operation of thedriving mechanism is permitted when the down haul chain is brought torest without liability of injury to the down haul chain.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the invention is morefully disclosed hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a plan partly in section, the section beingtaken on the line I-I of Fig. 2 showing a driving sprocket wheel,friction drive and safetyratchet wheel as constructed and arranged onthe head shaft of a down car haul. Fig, 2 is an elevation partly insection of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation showingthe opposite or ratchet wheel side of the sprocket wheel shown in thepreceding figures.

In the drawings, 2 designates the head shaft for the down haul chain ofa haulage system, having a chain driving sprocket wheel 3 mountedthereon. The sprocket wheel 3 as shown is rotatable on this shaft,instead of as heretofore, being keyed or otherwise secured on the shaftso as to always rotate therewith. When erected in place, the head shaft2 is mounted in suitable bearings 4:, 4; which are located on oppositesides of and adjacent to the sprocket wheel 3. One end of the shaft 2projects through one of the bearings therefor, and is provided on itsoverhanging end with a suitable driving gear 5 through which the drivingshaft 2 is positively rotated. The gear 5 on the end of the head shaft.2 is connected by suitable slow down gearing (not shown) to a drivingmotor which may be of any approved type. Keyed or otherwise secured onthe shaft 2 so as to rotate therewith, is a friction wheel 6 which asshown is split, the two halves of the wheel being bolted together inplace on theshaft 2. A'friction band 7, which is made in sections,surrounds the periphery of the friction Wheel, the sec} tions of theband being adjustably secured together by the bolts 8. Each section ofthe friction band has a projecting lug 9 which extends outwardly fromthe surface thereof and which is arranged to engage with the lugs 10 onthe one face of the sprocket wheel 3. A lining 11 of fiber is provldedbetween the friction faces on the friction band and friction wheel, theperipheral flange 12 on one side of the friction wheel 6 and theremovable annular ring 13 on the opposite side thereof projectingoutwardly so as to maintain the fiber lining in place and preventsidewise movement thereof. Secured by a key or in an equivalent manneron the shaft 2 on the opposite side of the sprocket wheel 3, is aratchet wheel 1ft having a series of teeth 15 on the periphery thereof,and pivoted on the bolts 16 at intervals on one face of the sprocketwheel are ratchet pawls 17 which are arranged to engage with the teeth15 in the ratchet wheel. The pivoted pawls 17 are yieldingly held inengagement with the teeth 15 of the ratchet wheel 14 by means of theleaf springs 18.

From the above description it will be readily seen that the sprocketwheel 3 is arranged to be frictionally driven by the shaft 2 upon whichthe wheel 3 is loosely mounted, and that the head shaft 2 can be rotatedin the same direction as the wheel 3 is rotated, at an angular velocitygreater than that of the sprocket wheel, while rotation of the sprocketwheel 3 in this same direction, at an angular velocity greater than thatof the shaft 2 on which the wheel is mounted, is prevented and madeimpossible.

In the operation of a car haul equipped with my improved chain drivingmechanism, when the apparatus is started in operation, no wagons or carswill be attached to the down haul chain until after a number have beenraised to the head of the incline by the up haul chain. Meantime, thedown haul chain will be operating idly. The friction drive by which thesprocket wheel 3 is connected to the head shaft 2 for the down haulchain has been adjusted so that the friction drive will exert powersuflicient only to overcome the frictional resistance of the entire downhaul movement. Should, for any reason such as a blockade of cars, thederailing of a car or the formation of any other obstruction, the powerbecome increased, the friction drive will slip and the positively drivenhead shaft 2 will continue to rotate while the sprocket wheel 3 and downhaul chain thereon will be stopped. As soon as sufficient cars or wagonscollect on and engage with the down haul chain, such cars or wagons, bytheir own weight, become a power medium for moving the chain. Shouldthis force or effect not be controlled, the tendency of the downwardlymoving cars would be to increase their speed and run away upon theincline. Any such tendency of the cars to increase their speed and runaway with the down haul chain to which they are attached is preventedwith my improved construction, as the pawls 17 on the sprocket wheel 3will engage with the teeth 15 in the ratchet wheel 14 on the shaft 2 andprevent rotation of the sprocketwheel 3 at a speed greater than that ofthe shaft 2 on which it is mounted. As the shaft 2 is positively rotatedat auniform speed independently of the load thereon by the shaft drivingmotor and intermediate slow down gearing, the shaft is prevented fromincreasing its speed of rotation above that desired, so that runningaway of the cars engaging the down haul chain is effectually prevented.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in theart. By the application of my improved chain driving mechanism to thedown haul chain of a haulage system, damage to the chain and its drivingmechanism caused by accidents to the cars or wagons being moved by saidchain, is automatically prevented and overcome, and the posibility ofrunning away of the cars and down haul chain is avoided;

The apparatus is simple and is easily kept in repair, and the improveddriving mechanism can be readily applied to existing haulage systems.

Modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts may bemade without departing from my invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A driving mechanism for chains and the like comprising a head shafthaving means whereby said shaft is positively rotated, a chain drivingwheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, means connecting the shaft andwheel permittingrotation of said shaft and wheel in one direction atvarying angular velocities, and means connecting the shaft and wheelpreventing rotation of said wheel in the opposite direction at a greaterangular velocity than said head shaft.

2. A driving mechanism for chains and the like comprising a head shafthaving means whereby said shaft is positively rotated, a chain drivingwheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, means connecting the shaft andwheel permitting relative angular rotation of said shaft and wheel inone direction, and means connecting the shaft and wheel preventingrotation of the wheel on said head shaft in the opposite direction.

3. A driving mechanism for chains and the like comprising a head shafthaving means whereby said shaft is positively rotated, a chain drivingwheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, wheel driving means connectingthe shaft and wheel permitting relative angular movement of the shaftwith wheel is rotatably mounted, means whereby said shaft is positivelydriven, means frictionally connecting said wheel and shaft for drivingsaid wheel, and independent means connecting the wheel and shaft andprevent-- ing rotation in one direction of the wheel on said shaft.

5. In a car haulage system, a sprocket wheel, a head-shaft onwhic'h saidwheel is rotatably mounted, means whereby said shaft is positivelydriven, a friction wheel keyed on and rotated by said shaft, a frictionband engaging with said friction wheel to drive the sprocket wheel, aratchet wheel.

keyed and rotating with the shaft, and a ratchet pawl on the sprocketwheel engaging with the teeth of said ratchet wheel, said pawl andratchet wheel operating to prevent rotation in one direction of thesprocket wheel on the head shaft.

6. In a car haulage system, a down haul chain sprocket wheel, a headshaft on which said wheel is rotatably mounted, means whereby said shaftis positively driven, a

friction clutch connecting the shaft and sprocket wheel whereby saidwheel is driven by the shaft, and a pawl and ratchet wheel connectingthe sprocket wheel and shaft whereby rotation of the wheel on the shaftin one direction is prevented.

7. In a car haulage system, a down haul chain sprocket wheel, a headshaft on which said wheel is rotatably mounted, means whereby said shaftis positively driven, means for frictionally connecting the shaft andsprocket wheel whereby said wheel is driven by the shaft, and a pawl andratchet wheel connecting the sprocket wheel and shaft to preventrotation in one direction of the wheel on the shaft.

8. In a car haulage system, a down haul chain sprocket wheel, a headshaft on which said wheel is rotatably mounted, means whereby said shaftis positively driven, means for frictionally drivingthe sprocket wheelfrom the head shaft, and means for preventing rotation in one directionof the wheel on the head shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

GUSTAVE E. HUTTELMAIER.

VVitne-sses JEssE S. Coon, KATIE M. GARDLE.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

